Clinical and histologic assessment of lateral alveolar ridge augmentation using a synthetic long-term bioabsorbable membrane and an allograft.

Background: Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a widely used procedure for augmenting alveolar ridge width prior to placement of endosseous implants. Various graft materials and barrier membranes (non-resorbable and bioabsorbable) have been used in GBR. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of a new bioabsorbable, synthetic polyglycolic acid/trimethylene carbonate (PGA/TMC) barrier membrane with an increased absorption time in conjunction with a combination of assayed demineralized bone matrix and cortical cancellous chips uniformly dispersed in a thermoplastic biologic carrier.